Dana Majhi never sought hospital help to take wife’s body home: Odisha govt

Majhi on August 24 had said he carried his wife’s body on shoulder and walked 10km after the hospital authorities refused to provide any assistance to transport the body.

The Odisha government on Friday told the assembly that Dana Majhi, who walked 10km with his wife’s body on his shoulder, had never sought any help before leaving Bhawanipatna district headquarters hospital.

Dana Majhi, who carried the body of his dead wife for 10km, during the press meet at Hotel Ashok in New Delhi on September 15, 2016.(Virendra Singh Gosain/HT Photo)

Replying to a written question by Congress member Prafulla Majhi, Odisha health and family welfare minister Atanu S Nayak rejected the allegation that Majhi was denied a hearse by the authorities. Majhi had never sought any help or assistance like dead body carrier to any of the hospital staff on the night of August 23, Nayak said quoting the chief district medical office (CDMO), Kalahandi’s report to the government.

“Holding a contractual staff nurse Rajendra Rana responsible for the incident, the government has dismissed him from the service. Similarly, the security agency guarding the hospital at Bhawanipatna has also been disengaged,” Nayak told the Odisha assembly.

In case of poor patient, if approached, transportation arrangement is made from the chief minister’s relief fund or Rogi Kalyan Samiti or Red Cross fund, he said.

The poor tribal from Melghar village, located 60km from the Kalahandi district headquarters town of Bhawanipatna, had hogged headlines for carrying his wife’s body on shoulder for 10km, following which journalists informed the district authorities and a vehicle was arranged.

Majhi on August 24 had said he carried his wife’s body on shoulder and walked 10km after the hospital authorities refused to provide any assistance to transport the body.

“The staff nurse at the ward told me to take away the body as she has died. I also knocked the door of the doctor on the hospital premises on August 23 night to inform him about death of my wife. The doctor also told me from behind the door to take away the body,” Dana Majhi had told reporters.

However, the minister said the hospital authorities came to know about the incident next day at 9am (on August 24) when the doctor came on ward visit.

“On 24.8.2016 in the morning round when the doctor found the patient absent in the ward, he mentioned in the bed head ticket- left against medical advice. He informed the matter to the ADMO (med) Kalahandi on 24.8.2016 at 9 AM. The patient was not declared dead. The patient was given adequate medical treatment and there was no negligence in treatment,” Nayak said quoting the CDMO’s report.